Mystery Bracket

Not every school has the name recognition of a Harvard or Duke, but March Madness brings a different class of elite to the top.

When ranking colleges here at Town & Country, we're more likely to consult US News and World Report than Sports Illustrated. But there are a few weeks in March where we are reliably dumbfounded by the universities that are universally acclaimed as "dominant." Admit it, we aren't the only ones.

Was there a single U.S. Citizen who wasn't stunned when 16-year-old school Florida Gulf Coast University (ranked 15 out of 16 in the Southern division) beat first number 2 seed Georgetown in their first NCAA tournament appearance and then number 7 San Diego State? It had us wondering what exactly FGCU was, and why their home base, Fort Myers, was now being referred to as "Dunk City?" Shouldn't that title belong to a more storied program, like the University of Houston with its Phi Slama Jama duo of Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwan (Texas's tallest fraternity)?

Now FGCU might be a Cinderella story in the making (they play the Florida Gators on Friday for a chance to reach the Elite Eight). But there are certainly others leveraging their prowess at basketball to sneak into the national conversation. Herewith, a quick primer on the hoop-centric schools you only hear about during March Madness:

Florida Gulf Coast University

Location: Fort Myers, Florida

Student Population: 11,291

Mascot: The Eagle

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Basketball Stats: See Above

Other Interesting Student Activities: The Kiteboard Club

Fun Facts: There are alligator warning signs on campus. Do not feed the animals.

La Salle University

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Student Population: 4,543

Mascot: The Explorer

Basketball Stats: Ranked number 13 in the Western Division, but beat number 4 Kansas State and number 12 Mississippi to make it to the Sweet 16. They face number 9 Wichita State on Thursday.

Other Interesting Student Activities: Student-run Radio Station, Non Alcoholic Club

Fun Facts: Founded in 1863 by a Roman Catholic Brother and Archbishop, the college was once located in the former mansion of Michael Bouvier, the great-great-grandfather of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. La Salle's history with sports goes way back. The mascot name came from a sports writer's mistake in 1931. He thought the school was named after French explorer Robert de la Salle instead of the patron saint of teachers St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle.

Butler University

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

Student Population: 3,889

Mascot: The Bulldog

Basketball Stats: Ranked number 6 in the Eastern Division, beat number 11 Bucknell in the first round, but lost to number 3 Marquette before making it to the Sweet Sixteen.

Other Interesting Student Activities: Greek life

Fun Facts: The final game of the 1986 Hoosiers film was filmed in their Hinkle Fieldhouse, the home court of the now established basketball powerhouse. That's not the only popular building on campus - their Irwin Library was designed by architect Minoru Yamasaki, who also created the original World Trade Center towers.

Marquette University

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Student Population: 8,387

Mascot: The Golden Eagle

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Basketball Stats: The Number 3 seed in the Eastern Division beat Davidson (4) and number Butler (6) to make it to the Sweet 16. They face number 2 Miami this Thursday.

Other Interesting Student Activities: Army, Navy, and Air Force ROTC

Fun Facts: Chicken nuggets are the preferred food of students.

Gonzaga University

Location: Spokane, Washington

Student Population: 4,906

Mascot: The Bulldog

Basketball Stats: Once a favorite to win the whole tournament, Gonzaga was ranked number 1 in the Western Division before losing to Wichita State in the second round.

Other Interesting Student Activities: Umm… Basketball.

Fun Facts: The Ultimate Gonzaga Basketball Fun Fact And Trivia Book Kindle Edition is currently sold on Amazon.com for $2.99 1&keywords=ultimate+gonzaga+basketball

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